For Jesse Remington grads, an academic and spiritual journey

CANDIA — By high school standards, the 2014 graduating class at Jesse Remington High School is on the small side, for sure.

For the 10 seniors who received their diploma Friday night at a ceremony at Candia Congregational Church, the piece of paper recognized their academic advancement and continuing spiritual journey.

.“Seniors, soon to be alumni, you have stepped up in leadership, in scholasticism, in community building and commitment,” said Jesse Remington headmaster Jeffrey Philbrick. “You’ve grown and you have finished, and I want to suggest that you have not just finished, but you have, in fact, finished triumphantly, and that is a beautiful thing.”..Philbrick encouraged each student to erase the cliches of commencement and to raise his or her standards for the future.

“The common theme at a high school graduation goes something like this: ‘OK, students, dream big’ or ‘pursue your dreams,’ or, here’s my favorite, ‘you students, can make a difference.’ All of those make me gag,” said Philbrick. “I find them all very humanistic, and I want to reset a higher goal for you. We want to send you out this door with the very same challenge that we brought you in this door this past fall.”..Philbrick said the theme verse for the 2014 school year was Colossians 3, which challenges Christ’s followers to rise above earthly standards and focus on God’s will, namely exhibiting compassion, kindness, patience forgiveness and love...“It is not about your plans,” said Philbrick. “It is rather about Christ in you, fulfilling what he has already marked out ahead of you, what he has called you to do, and what he has gifted you to do.”..Caleb Harris, Brittney Henry and Samantha Brouillard plan to attend local colleges and engage in ministry; William Deacon is headed to Gordon College in Wenham, Mass.; Kristyna DiBonahas enrolled at Elmira College in New York; Kellie Epperson and Luke Jenson have committed to Geneva College in Pennsylvania; Ethan Fultz is going to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y.; Min-Hyung Oh will go to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.; and Ji-Yeon heads to Houghton College in New York...roconnor@newstote.com..